This October, I worked my first month as the social media manager for the St. Bonaventure University English Department.
I am not tooting any horns when I say I had to fully CPR these accounts from oblivion and what a journey it has been!
When Dr. Kaplan Harris, the chair of the English department, sent out an email about upcoming events at the beginning of this semester, he plugged the social media accounts belonging to the department.
When I checked out the accounts he linked, I was remiss to find that the Instagram and Facebook accounts were in a state of utter despair. They had been abandoned with zero hope for recovery, and by that, I mean that nothing had been posted for four months (I am nothing if not dramatic).
I emailed Dr. Harris a few days after receiving the email. I was curious to see if they had any students running their social media accounts. He asked to meet, and I gave him some ideas of what I might do as their social media manager.
Disregarding how I seemed to just pull this position out of thin air, Dr. Harris gave me a chance, and thus began my October.
Prior to my meeting, I had come up with a full content schedule and had brainstormed post ideas, some of which were ready to be released that day.
And so, equipped with nothing more than an iPhone, a deep appreciation for the English department and a dream, I set off to revive the accounts.
This role has required a lot of time, effort and dedication, but is something I truly enjoy doing. I have learned some great lessons about social media managing along the way, namely five main points.
1. Frequency and consistency matter
I have worked as a social media manager in three separate roles and one thing my colleagues can never seem to understand is that the amount of content you are posting and how it is structured are vital to your success.
We exist in a world where nothing is standing in your way if you’re looking to achieve virality. Literally all it takes is one post. That’s it.
How do you think Alix Earle made $5 million while balancing both school and social media?
Answer: She posted. A lot.
Her videos were engaging and consistent, but not so much so that her base got bored. She took advantage of the opportunities she was given and her content reflected it. Earle was, is, a reliable influencer who you just can’t seem to escape. Goals.
One of the biggest mistakes social media managers make is not posting enough. There is nothing stopping you from posting 4-7 days a week, and in fact, you should be posting that much.
Whether it’s through a story, an image or a video, engage with your people. Don’t hold back.
2. Post for all
While you should be posting content that appeals to your specific niche, it should be generally appealing. Your posts should be clean, organized, and consistently themed.
Even if they might not relate to the content, viewers outside of those following you should view your posts and like what they see.
3. Be innovative
As I previously stated, Alix Earle achieved so much success because she frequently posted and her videos were consistent in content and nature, but she didn’t only post the same kinds of videos.
She switched it up a bit every week or so.
Be innovative with your account. Do something new here and there, but don’t disregard what works.
Change is engaging.
4. Representation, Representation, Representation
This might apply more specifically to me and my posting through the English department, but representation is so important in these tumultuous and divisive times.
Your viewers should not just see themselves in your content. They should be invited to expand their minds and open themselves to new experiences.
5. Post like an influencer
Confidence is key and you must fake it until you make it.
Whether you have an account with 40 followers or 40 thousand, you should post things that are exciting, fresh and brave.
Toe some lines! Take risks! Experiment!
Social media is a game that a minority of users, influencers, have managed to finesse. It is not real or representative at all of the nuances and complexity of real life.
Use this to your advantage.
Play the game; you just might win.